Page 3 of The Kissing Challenge

But the way she viewed relationships was so different.

Gemma had dated. She'd kissed a ton of guys. She didn't want to wait around for life to happen to her. She made things happen. This would actually be the perfect challenge for her. I said as much, but she waved me off.

"No one left that comment on my channel," she said.

"But you and Knight," I said and smiled. "Now, that would be a kiss I'd want to see."

She leaned her head side to side as if considering.

"Yeah, it would," she said. "But again, no one challenged me. They sent that message to you, my friend."

I narrowed my gaze on her innocent baby blues. "Gemma. Did you make a fake account just so you could leave that comment?"

"What, moi?" Her hand went to her chest. "I would never."

"Yes, you would," I said.

"Okay, I totally would." We both giggled at that. "I wish ithadbeen me. I'm kind of mad at myself that it wasn't."

I squinted my eyes even harder, watching for any hint of a lie, but Gemma held her hands up.

"Well, whoever"—I checked the username again and nearly laughed—"LonelyHeart1 is, I think they picked the wrong girl."

Gemma sat in front of me and grabbed my hands again, stopping me from wiping the same spot. The stain wasn't coming up. But at least it gave the beige rug a bit of color.

"Listen Anne, maybe this is fate. You just have to let it ride and not be scared."

My fingers tightened around hers, but I didn't say anything.

"At least promise to think about it," she said. "You've never not met a challenge. I'd hate to see you start now—especially when it's something I know you want to do."

She had a good point.

But fear was a very real thing, and it was alive and well inside my chest.

Even long after Gemma had gone, I was still sitting in my room, thinking about it. The sun had set hours ago. My lights were off, but I couldn't stop watching the kissing videos and looking at the comment.

Kiss your best friend.

Could it really be that simple? I'd thought about it before this, of course—only like a million times. Kissing Captain was my #1 recurring dream. That was what I'd always thought it would be. A dream. But now, with this challenge, I had the perfect excuse. Could I do it? What would his reaction be? That was something even my imagination couldn't come up with.

But I wondered.

Also, maybe, just maybe, Gemma was right. If this could help me get over Captain and eliminate any bumps in the road of our friendship down the line, shouldn't I just get it over with? Satiate my curiosity?

Questions swirled through my mind as I went to sleep that night.

No answers were forthcoming.

But I couldn't deny that I definitely wanted to know. What would it be like to kiss my best friend? If I let this opportunity pass me by, there might not be another.

Oh goodness, was I seriously considering this?

CHAPTER 2

Confession:Sometimes I wished my best friend wasn't so good looking.

It would make my life so much easier.

---